Restless Leg Syndrome


Rest­less Leg Syn­drome (RLS) is a con­di­tion that caus­es unpleas­ant sen­sa­tions in your legs result­ing in an uncon­trol­lable urge to move them. It most often occurs in the evening hours when you’re sit­ting or lying down. The cause of RLS is not com­plete­ly under­stood, but it may be linked to fam­i­ly his­to­ry and pregnancy. 

The symp­toms or sen­sa­tions of RLS include a crawl­ing, throb­bing, pulling, aching or itch­ing sen­sa­tion that runs through­out your legs. They typ­i­cal­ly begin after you’ve been lying down or sit­ting for an extend­ed peri­od, such as in a car or air­plane or sit­ting at a desk for work. Relief is typ­i­cal­ly brought on by mov­ing your legs. Although RLS does­n’t lead to oth­er seri­ous con­di­tions, symp­toms can range from bare­ly both­er­some to inca­pac­i­tat­ing. Many peo­ple with RLS find it dif­fi­cult to fall or stay asleep. If diag­nosed by your health­care provider, treat­ments can include med­ica­tions and lifestyle changes that may help you man­age the symptoms.